Does God Want You Rich?

So, does God want you rich? A lot of preachers, books, and even Christian movies today say yes. But Paul warned Timothy about that exact message in 1 Timothy 6, almost two thousand years ago.

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What Paul Said About It

In 1 Timothy 6, Paul says that anyone who teaches otherwise and won’t consent to the words of Jesus has a serious problem:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing..." — 1 Timothy 6:3–4 (KJV)

He even names the false idea at the center of it. These men were “supposing that gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5). They thought that if you have more, God must be pleased with you. Paul flips it around one verse later: “But godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

The Prosperity Gospel Message You’ve Probably Heard

You’ve probably heard some version of it:

• “God wants to bless you, so when you give, He’ll give you back more than you gave.”
• “Healing and prosperity were paid for at the cross, so faith only has to receive them.”
• “Your words have power, so speak God’s promises over your life and claim them.”

It sounds convincing, because it’s built out of real Bible verses. But Peter calls it what it is:

"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." — 2 Peter 2:3 (KJV)

If you believed it, that verse isn’t aimed at you. It’s warning you about the ones who made merchandise of you.

Giving is still good. Giving to real needs lays up treasure in heaven. The lie is the promise that God owes you an earthly payback for it.

What Does 2 Corinthians 8:9 Really Mean?

They’ll even twist 2 Corinthians 8:9:

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." — 2 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV)

But look at how poor Jesus became:

"And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." — Matthew 8:20 (KJV)

The King of kings left heaven and had no home of His own here. He calls us to follow Him, not to chase comfort. Even Paul said he had “no certain dwellingplace” (1 Corinthians 4:11), yet he wrote, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

The riches Jesus came to give are forgiveness, a new mind, peace with God, and eternal life. He didn’t come to give a bigger bank account, a new modern house, or the latest trends.

Contentment Doesn’t Mean You Have to Be Homeless

To be clear, we are not saying anyone needs to be homeless. Paul says, “having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:8). God cares that His people are fed, clothed, and sheltered.

But contentment might look different than the world expects:

• renting instead of owning
• living in a tiny home or an RV
• driving an older car that’s paid off
• wearing hand-me-downs
• staying in the smaller place so there’s time and money left for God and for others

The world calls that falling behind. God calls it contentment:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." — Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)

A beautiful life costs a lot. It costs money, time, and strength. Those same things could be spent studying the Bible, teaching your children, caring for the poor and needy and following Christ.

Where the Coveting Road Leads

Paul warns where the other road ends:

"But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." — 1 Timothy 6:9 (KJV)

Notice that Paul doesn’t say “they that are rich.” He says “they that will be rich.” It’s the wanting that starts it. And the verse moves in steps, like someone slowly sinking into deep water.

How Wanting More Turns Into Drowning

Here is how it can happen to an ordinary family.

• 1. The will to be rich.It rarely sounds greedy. It sounds like “We deserve a bigger house” or “The kids need their own rooms.” Everyone around them is upgrading, and it seems normal.
• 2. Temptation.The bank approves them for more than they planned to spend. A nicer house is only a little more each month. It’s easy to say yes.
• 3. The snare.A snare is a trap that holds you once you step in. Now there’s a thirty-year mortgage, a truck payment, and furniture on credit. They can’t just walk away. “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).
• 4. Foolish and hurtful lusts.Both parents pick up overtime to keep up. Sunday becomes the only day to rest, so church gets skipped. Family Bible reading fades. The kids get screens instead of time. Money fights start. They’re tired and stressed, so they spend more on vacations and eating out to feel better, and the debt grows.
• 5. Drowning.None of it happened in one day, but the Word gets crowded out. Jesus said “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). A marriage can break. Children grow up believing the house was the point. And a soul can be lost.

It works the same way at any age:

• For kidswanting the newest game turns into begging, sulking, and comparing. Then they’re lying to get it, or spending every free hour on it instead of with God and family.
• For teenswanting the newest phone or name-brand shoes turns into working every shift. That means missing church and youth group, and measuring yourself by what others have.
• For adultswanting the bigger house, the newer truck, or the dream vacation turns into the cycle above.

God’s blessings are for your spiritual growth. Why destroy the life God gave you chasing foolish, hurtful, and temporary things? It’s not worth it, brothers and sisters.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

• Do I need this, or do I just want what everyone else has?
• Will I have to borrow to get it?
• Will it take time away from God’s Word, church, or my family?
• Could this money meet a real need for someone else?
• Would I still want it if nobody ever saw it?

So, Does God Want You Rich?

God wants you rich toward Him, not rich in this world. When a message promises you earthly gain for following Jesus, Paul says, “from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:5).

This Week’s Verse

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." — 1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)

Keep reading: Paul tells Timothy exactly what to run from in the very next verses. Flee and Follow: The Meaning of 1 Timothy 6:11